“Esteban Terradas” National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA)
Launch of SIVA UAVINTA is a self-governing public research agency that forms part of the Secretariat of State of Defence. Its principal focus is technological R&D in the fields of aeronautics and space; it also provides advisory services, technical support, trials and certification for the Armed Forces and the industry within this sector.
The INTA Statute establishes the following functions for the Institute:
- To direct and implement national programmes that, due to their specific technological content in aeronautics and space fields, are assigned to it by the Governmental Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy, the Ministry of Defence and other competent bodies within the General State Administration.
- To train technicians, perform trials, analyses and all types of tests and experimental work, provide technical advice to public bodies and industrial or technological companies, and to constitute the Ministry of Defence metrological laboratory.
- To disseminate scientific, technological and technical knowledge that may contribute to the development of the national industry and to the scientific and technological research.
Activities
Logotipo del INTA The activities performed by INTA can be grouped into four blocks, one dedicated to management, two dedicated to technological activities, and the final one dedicated to external activities and international cooperation:
- Within the activities performed in the area of management, worth mentioning are those maintained by the Institute with universities in the field of R&D, together with the organisation of specific collaboration agreements, scholarships, work practice stays and joint participation in research projects in most of its areas of activity, but particularly in aeronautics and space sectors, in which the Institute is a national benchmark.
Let us also mention the Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI), which provides INTA researchers with specialised advice in the area of R&D&i. This Office also constitutes an interface between the diverse research groups and the scientific and academic environments, the different branches of the Spanish administration and companies that make use of this technology.
- The Institute’s R&D activities are structured within the following categories:
- Spatial programmes
- Electronic Technologies programmes
- Aeronautics programmes
- Materials and Structures programmes
- Energy and Environment programmes
- Observation systems programmes
INTA actively participates in the STO groups within NATO and in the EDA. At the Institute, international collaboration is considered an important means of R&T development, as the subjects addressed are mainly sensitive and relevant to national security and the programs are developed jointly with other countries of our environment.
- The Institute performs activities of certification and trials, in the aeronautics and space fields, and also acts in other fields of technology, such as terrestrial transport and renewable energies.
- As part of its external actions and cooperation, INTA carries out institutional drives to publicise its activities in the aerospace sector, through work groups, conferences, exhibitions, visits, meetings and the Internet. In addition, it actively participates within the principal organisations and national and international initiatives in the sector (UN, NASA, ESA, GARTEUR, ESRIF, GMES, GEO, EURISY, etc.).
Finally, let us mention the Astrobiology Institute (CAB), which is operated jointly with the CSIC and whose offices are in the INTA main building. It is dedicated to studying the origin of life and its presence in the universe. Its activities incorporate the scientific work carried out in the areas of astronomy, fluid dynamics, geology, biochemistry, biology, genetics, remote sensing, biocomputing, ecology, computer science, physics, robotics and communications engineering. In addition, it is the leading non-US research centre associated with the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI).